The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1887-02-12
ViruIent Twaddle.

N. o. States.
The attempt of the Picaystne to ridi'
cula the Agricultural Convention al
Baton Rouge and destroy its useful
ness because it assembled under q
proclamation Of the present GovernoI
of the State, was lamentable exhibi-
tion of unreasoning venom. The call
ing of this convention and the one to
follow it at Lake Charles, was wise
conception and the Baton Rouge agri-
cultural societies that suggested it,
and the Governor who, acting on the
suggestion, gave it being, deserve the
hearty commentator of the people of
Louisiana.
What is most needed by our farm
ing and planting classes is more en-
lightenment in the pursuit of their
calling. For twenty years our rural
districts, with few exceptions, have
made little progress in wealth, OF i'm
provement of any sort; nor will they
make any until the old and slovenly
methods shall give way to new and
more scientific ones. We want the
abandonment of the old ways that inn
poverish the soil without enriching
the planter, and waste, land, capital
and labor together. If we hope for
Louisiana, even with her magnificent
climate and fertile soil, to grow rich
we should have smaller farms, more
farmers, more enlightened and thor
ough system of cultivation and stock
raising, a greater diversity of farm pro-
ducts and more pride and ambition on
the part of the planter in the improve
ment and identifying of bis place and
in the superiority Of bis products and
stock.
No better or wiser way to inspire
the spirit which is necessary to prompt
this new departure could have been
adopted than the calling of these con-
ventions. We trust that they will be
followed by annual gatherings of our
planters, farmers and stock-raisers and
by the organization, throughout the
State, of parish agricultural societies
and annual fairs,
In giving the countenance and sup
port of his exalted position to this
movement, so vitality important to the
agricultural development of the State,
the Governor, instead of being ridi-
euled and abused as attempting to
make political capital by his action,
should be warmly commended by our
press aud people. Even if he were
really the awful villain the infunated
imagination of the Picayaae depicts
him, such wise and beneficial measures
as he may stumble upon should be
supported in the public interest.
That the Governor, in devotiDg
much of his administration to the
restoration of the leyees, and IN seek
ing to foster our agricultural interests
through this convention and other
means, was inspired by an ambition to
popularize himself and his administra-
tion with the people is very likely
true but it will be sad day for this
or any other State or nation, when so
laudable an ambition in those in its
high places shall be thought so afro
elous as to subject them to ridicule,
insult and persecution.
The States is not the champion of
the Governor, and it has no other in
terest in the good name of his admin
istration than that which every true
Democrat should feel in the success
of Democratic government, and
every patriotic citizen In the advance
ment Of the common good. But we
deprecate the malignant spirit which
a small faction Of agitators in the
Democratic party are constantly man
ifesting toward the Democratic Gov
ernor Of the State because he happens
not to be their choice, and in violent
outbreaks of a temper which dares to
denounce any Democrat who docs not
belong to their exclusive sect of ere
formers as a "riugster," No such
spirit can centrol the Democratioparty,
or advance the material interests of
the State; but it can produce bitter
ness, discord and factions in the first,
and embarass and retard tho latter,